The New Kids In Town: Stellar Days
by TwilightSymphony
Summary: The past. The present. The future. These are things that they all had in common. Join the unfortunate souls of Akikazemoon's story, brought together by fate, and kept together by something they had thought they had lost: Their humanity.
1. Lunar Memory

Hi everyone! I FINALLY got around to writing this, after I PMd everyone (well...almost everyone...I couldn't find CozBlueX, so, sorry about that CozBlueX!) Anyway, HAPPY CANADA DAY...3 DAYS LATE! I saw the fireworks that they had down at the harbour that day...they were so cool! There were like, a couple thousand people watching, and, we were in the front row! IT WAS LIKE THE MIDNIGHT RIDERS...only, without the zombies and punk music...and a lot better... Also, for the American folks in the audience, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! I may be Canadian, but, I just love holidays that involve pyrotechnics...Mm...

I have way too many stories for other things running, but, hopefully, this'll get the creative juices running...

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Left 4 Dead in any way, shape or form. I also do not own any of the OCs used in this story, with the exception of my own OCs that haven't been introduced in Akikazemoon's lovely story (COME ON CHAPTER 20!) Akikazemoon owns Taunter, and the personalities of Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, etc I suppose. Commander of the Rabbids owns Sam. Sorrowsnow owns Calli. Zipper Whippersnapper owns Jeffry. Foxstar-Nikiu owns Valery. CozBlueX owns Claire. Breaking Ground owns Mike. Scorpion 123456 owns Clawer (and Grace/Healer.)

**Chapter 1: Lunar Memory.**

Darkness surrounded me as I crouched in the small corner of my cage - they put us in goddamn _cages_-and watched the cameras that were watching me.

How did I even _get _here?

I remembered every part of the transaction, being led from the cell I had lived in for the last 6 months, loaded into a truck, and then...nothing...I woke up here.

That had been 2 weeks ago...I think...

What bothered me the most about this situation wasn't the food, the fact that I had to piss in front of everyone, or, the fact that I was alone in here.

It was the guards.

They walked up and down, up and down, patrolling every hall, every platform. They would poke the butt of their rifles into the elevated cages, spit on some of the younger kids, or sometimes even beat anyone who caused "trouble".

My current imprisonment didn't bother me as much as you would think. It was the fact that there were kids here. There were all ages, some as young as six.

What despicable bastard was doing this?

And then_ she _arrived.

Until that day, I had been in the cage alone. There were a couple dozen others, filled with people, but, for some reason, I was alone in the cage filled with claw marks and bloody stains.

It was no place for a child that young.

Okay, so she was just a year younger than me, but still.

She had green eyes. That was the first thing I ever noticed. She was petite, but, not scrawny. Black clothes, a skull in the middle, threatening, and cargo pants that had dust and dirt covering whatever colour they used to be.

She looked fragile.

She looked up sharply as I half-stood, trying not to bang my head on the roof. I was tall for a 19 year old, but, that cage would have made a 12 year old have to stoop.

She recoiled as I approached, pushing herself against the bars in an attempt to get away from me.

I guess the bloodstains from that hit I got were pretty scary.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I said, mentally groaning at the corniness of the line. "My name is Gabe. What's yours?"

She looked at me, her body shaking. I extended a hand. She steeled herself visibly, before grasping my hand in hers.

"Grace."

It had just started recently.

One day, about a month since Grace arrived, a few men in white coats came in. They pointed to a few people in a few cages, and they were led away.

They didn't come back.

I remember the look one of the people who were chosen gave me as she passed. It had been a little girl, no older than 8, with hair pulled back into twin braids.

It was a look of utter and complete desperation.

After that day, the men came back about once a week, picking people from various cages, and then leaving. Oddly enough, Grace and I were never chosen. They had stopped in front of the cage, pointed and talked in hushed tones, but, never picked us for whatever happened behind those metal doors.

And then, one day, they picked us.

As we were led down the path between cages, the kids all looked at us. We were the lambs being led to slaughter. We were the only ones picked by the men this time, the only ones walking down the path.

We were led out the heavy metal doors into a startlingly white hallway. It was not what I had imagined, the cages were in a huge, rusty metal room. It made me clench my fists silently.

_If this place is like this, then why are they putting us in that room?_

I glanced at Grace, who was looking worried, her eyes flitting this way and that. She turned her gaze on me and I managed a small smile. Grace had become my little sister, two people brought together by terrible events. The only thing I really knew about Grace was she was kidnapped from her home, not sold from Juvie like me.

The guards around us were silent, but, the grip they had on their weapons was tight. Disarming would be impossible...

Finally, we reached our destination. A large operating theatre, with two gurneys with restraints hanging from their sides. The "doctors" glowered down on us from above, their eyes cold and uncaring.

It was at this moment that I started to fight back.

I shoved the closest guard from behind, sending him stumbling forwards. I quickly hooked a leg around the guard behind me, the one who had just yelled in surprise. I pulled and sent him sprawling to the floor.

The guards around Grace were holding her, stopping her from moving, though she was struggling like her life depended on it, which, it probably did. I charged, slamming my elbow into one of the guard's temples.

He fell instantly.

The guards I had knocked over came up behind me, and gripped my arms. I kicked at them, bit at what I could, but, I couldn't stop them. They dragged me over to the gurney, and strapped me to it. Grace yelled, pushing towards me, but, the guard grabbed her too.

The one I hit in the temple didn't get up.

They strapped Grace to the gurney, ignoring her efforts to hurt them, not an easy feat, considering the fact they both almost lost ears to her hands and teeth.

And then he arrived.

He was tall, with combed back brown hair and a hawkish nose. He glowered down at us, the small spectacles on the bridge of that atrocity they called a nose magnifying his coal black eyes. He wore a lab coat, and was currently frowning at our actions.

He was terrifying.

I struggled, thrashing about on the gurney as he approached, flanked by similarly dressed scientists, carrying metal boxes.

I didn't want to know what was in them.

"Do you know why you're here?" The man asked, gesturing towards the gurneys.

Rather than answer him, I spat in his face.

His frown turned into a snarl as he ran a hand to clear the spittle from his forehead. "Have you heard of the infection, Mr. Gabe?"

I had. Even in Juvie, we had heard of the infection. Counsellors and Security began to leave, fleeing the mysterious Green Flu.

I spat again, but, missed this time.

"The infection is, by far, the most cannibalistic virus we've ever seen. It devours the cells and replaces them with certain mutations. Even a human's DNA can be completely altered. What we've recovered from certain infected individuals looks nothing like the double helix."

He paused, looking directly at me.

"It turns them into zombies, Mr. Gabe."

I looked back at him, shocked.

"But! The government had enlisted me for a way to fight the infection, one which requires ample test subjects." He gestured behind him towards the hall that led to the cages.

"They enlisted me to create our own infected, to fight those of the natural virus. And you and Miss. Grace, will be one of our finished projects. The Clawer and Healer strains, which I designed myself."

I started struggling again, trying to get out, trying to GET AWAY!

"Now now, struggling would be quite futile." He drawled, opening one of the silver cases. I thrashed about harder. He pulled the syringe from the case, and undid the cap.

I looked at Grace.

"I'm sorry." I said.

And then the needle pierced my arm.

Red flooded my vision as pain exploded throughout my body. My nerves screamed for relief as I thrashed about on the restrained gurney, trying desperately to strike the man in the white coat above me. I bore my teeth and let out an animalistic -was that me?- roar as my canines lengthened. The man shrank back from my restrained position, pulling the small steel needle away with him. I let out another cry as he tried to shred the restraints, hand wringing as segmented claws took the place of soft fingertips.

Then, I heard a whimper.

Eyes, glazed over with anger and infection turned to the source, a petit girl, about my age, who was strapped to a gurney across from me.

_Grace_

I quieted somewhat, regarding the girl with less bloodlust.

Then, Gabe...was my name Gabe...? growled and roared with absolute frenzy as another man approached the girl.

"DON'T TOUCH HER! IF YOU TOUCH GRACE I'LL KILL YOU!" I mentally screamed, mouth not able to form the words as the pain, accompanied by the despair and anger, flooded his system again as the man neared the girl.

Grace looked at me, eyes clear as she regarded the beast that her friend had become, and spoke:

"Gabe, I-"

Grace was cut off as the man injected her with the needle, causing her to give out a scream of pain as the burning infection took her body too.

Red seeped through me as the newly-infected roared with hatred, his mind clouded by a vast, numbing darkness.

A woman, yelling as she cradled a small child, bruised and bloodied by the yelling father.

The same man, drinking the foul-smelling amber liquid that Gabe had decided he hated with passion.

A tub, filled with soapy water, making slapping noises as he pushed around a small yellow duck, focusing on it, blocking out the sounds of yelling in the background.

Suddenly, a surge of another emotion brought me out of my reverie. I flexed my claws, anger coiling inside, like a snake in a corner, held back, but, biding its time. I looked at my surroundings. The same room, men I hadn't seen before...or had I? A woman, tied to a table...Grace.

I remembered my little sister.

Suddenly, blood welled up in my fingers as a primitive instinct took over. One either brought on, or focused by the infection now coursing through my veins.

Kill.

I sprang to life, restraints bending and tearing easily as an all consuming focus and hunger came over me.

Kill now.

My claws shook as a silent command passed between my brain and my new body.

Kill them now.

My arm raised, claws pointed outwards.

Kill all of them now.

The claws fired.

And the rest is history! Okay...maybe not for real, but, still! I planned to involve everyone, but, the clawer story was just aching to be written...though, I do intend to do more chapters...I'm not sure how many in total, maybe I'll just make it a three shot...hmm...I'm also not sure about the "cannibalistic" wording for the virus, as, I'm not sure if the virus is eating itself, other virus' or the body...I COULD have put necrotic in, but, I think cannibalistic sounds better...

Why do I feel cheerful after writing THAT? Ah well, Until next time!

-Twilight Symphony


	2. Wisteria Hearts

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Left 4 Dead in any way, shape or form. I also do not own any of the OCs used in this story, with the exception of my own OCs that haven't been introduced in Akikazemoon's lovely story (COME ON CHAPTER 20!) Akikazemoon owns Taunter, and the personalities of Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, etc I suppose. Commander of the Rabbids owns Sam. Sorrowsnow owns Calli. Zipper Whippersnapper owns Jeffry. Foxstar-Nikiu owns 17 owns Claire. Breaking Ground owns Mike. Scorpion 123456 owns Clawer and Healer.

**Chapter 2: Wisteria Hearts.**

Memories flash in my head like a swarm of hunters leaping in front of me. People who I should know, but, can't recall. Places that probably meant a lot to me. Lyrics and artwork, a goodbye in front of a helicopter.

I wake up, gasping for air, a scream on my lips.

The alley is quiet, with the exception of the occasional sleep mumbles from Jeffie, the gurgles from Boomer, and the sobbing of Witch in the distance.

I am alone.

I sigh, and shake my head furiously.

_What are you doing Calli?_

I get up, leaving that oh so comfortable mattress behind as I scale the fire escape, making my way to the roof on the left side of the alley. I clutch my arms to myself as the wind blew across the roof, making my already cold body even more frigid.

_What are you doing Calli?_

I take two steps towards the far edge of the roof, then another, and another. The wind howled again, trying to push me back, but, I held on.

_What are you doing Calli?_

Over the edge of the roof, commons milled about, speaking in their freakish, garbled, sick sentences. I sighed, thinking about how easy it would be to not have any knowledge of who I was, of what I became. I thought about how easy it would be to just end all of it. I could take a jar of boomer bile and break it on myself, let the Commons finish me off. I could startle Witch, though, that would probably make her even more miserable. The easiest way would to just fall.

_What are you doing Calli?_

I jump back from the edge, horrified from the thoughts that just echoed in my head. What _was _that?

"What are you doing, Calli?" A voice echoed behind me, making me feel guilty instantly.

"Smoker, why are you up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." A cough and wheeze came from behind me, but, no click of a lighter. He wasn't smoking. Smoker only stopped smoking when something was wrong.

He knew.

Or, at least I think he did.

"I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about what we're going to do about those new infected, that Cole really fixes my wagon." I said, feigning irritation (though, what I said about Cole was true...) Smoker chuckled, probably at the wagon reference.

"It'll be all right. With all of us here, what can they possibly do?"

Those dreams of Cole, standing in the burning rec center while I drowned in front of him came to my mind instantly. I shuddered at the foul memory, the water rising above my head, fire all around me. Out of all those new guys, Cole didn't scare me the most, but, for some reason, he plagued my nightmares.

"You're right, of course." I said, twiddling with a paint can.

Smoker sat down beside me, legs dangling over the edge I was about to...

I broke down, sobbing into my hands as the other infected, the other _monster _looked at me in surprise. He said things about how we were safe from Cole and those others, but, I didn't hear him. I let a choked word about memories escape and he instantly grew tense.

"Out of all the infected, you're probably the one with the most memories." He muttered, before pulling me into a hug.

"Now you listen here. We may be infected, we may have been human, but, this is the lot we were given, and, don't you think for a second that killing yourself will do anyone a favour. It would make all of the people here sad, and, it would make the world a bit less filled with sugar and rainbows, something that this dark and gray world needs more than ever." Smoker paused, looking at me.

"How long have you been rehearsing _that_ speech?" I asked him, giggling a bit over the tears.

"Ever since the idea of what you were thinking of doing came over me too." He said, seriously.

My tears stopped, giving way to a small smile.

"Thanks Smoker, you know, you really ar-"

"OI! WOULD YOU TWO LOVEBIRDS COME DOWN HERE?" The shout echoed up from the alley. Hunter was up.

"Would you SHUT UP?" Taunter yelled, probably followed by a slap to the head.

"MAKE ME!" Hunter yelled back.

The resounding groans from the others signified that it was probably time to get up...to kill Hunter.

I walked over to the edge above the alley, and pulled out a spray paint can.

"Calli? What are you doing?" Smoker asked, walking over to me, watching my aim the spray paint with deadly accuracy.

I grinned, a bright, sunny thing.

"Having some fun!"

I pressed down on the spray nozzle.

* * *

Wasn't that great? I like the title for this chapter, and the fact that it centers around Calli, though, I like chapters that center around anyone...hell, I like chapters period! And we need more chapters for the sequel! I'M LOOKING AT _YOU _KAZE-CHAN!

Just one question, If your infected came from another city, then would they have known Cole and Gina and Noir? I kind of need at least one who knows ABOUT them at least from before...

See ya later!


	3. Ivory Soul

HIYA! I know, I know, not fast enough, right? Well, I needed Scorp to poke me into writing this, pretty much. I'm so tired though, a friend from up north came and stayed with us for like, two weeks and now I'm exhausted. BUT! I needed to update...

And, the people who get this next quote/word thing and answer first and correctly, will either get a cookie, or will get to pick the idea for the next chapter!

Dangerous Dangerous, like a - in a nursing home...

Now, which one of the infected fits that description (:?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD, LEFT 4 DEAD 2, OR ANY OF THE OCS, OR PERSONALITIES FOR THE "ORIGINAL" INFECTED. I DO, HOWEVER, OWN MY OWN OCS, COLE AND GINA.

Wow...that was easy...

(Line)

**Chapter 3: Ivory Soul.**

The rain pounded hard against the stone outside. I curled inwards, turning my already compressed body into an even smaller ball. The mattress beneath me was soft, by my standards, but, it wasn't the mattress that was the problem.

It was me.

I drew a shaky breath as I burrowed me head deeper into my arms, hair strewn around me in faint ribbons. The rain pounded the stone harder as the wind outside howled with an endless loneliness, trying to get inside and steal what little warmth I possessed. I glanced around the room, the occasional explosion of light from the sky illuminating my dear friends.

The friends I could very well lose.

I had feigned ignorance, hoping, wishing, wallowing in denial. But, when Clawer shot me a look from across the alley, I knew instantly.

Our old enemies were back.

Every day since then, my dreams were haunted with images of half eaten husks of Commons, soot and ash covering what had once been our home, and tbose black eyes with red irises watching our every move.

I dreamt of the time before this group, even before Angel and Alan. A time when it was Clawer and I against the world.

Against Cole.

* * *

Clawer kicked a pile of ash, growling slightly at the sight of _another_ home burned to the ground. I trailed behind him, fiddling with the loose fabric of my shirt. I had to do something. _Anything_.

Anything to hide the fact that I was afraid.

Clawer sighed, before turning around. His dark hair hung loosely in front of his face, and his fingers flexed together and his anger boiled silently. I approached him, but, he turned away.

"D-Do you think any of them made it out of there?" I asked, mouth forming the words, but, mind not regestering them.

The look Clawer sent me was one of utter anger and other dark emotions, but, not directed at me.

"The factory was big. Cole probably waited until they were asleep. There was no way for them to get out of there."

The harsh reality stung me, and I moved closer to Clawer, looking behind me nervously. I was really frazzled. The bitter irony reminded me that the others were dead, and that I was thinking about how I was _frazzled?_ I shook my head.

"This has gone on long enough." Clawer muttered, glaring off into the distance. The ash blew around us in a great soot storm.

The ironic thing about being a Healer is that you aren't particularly bloodthirsty. Sure, you attack survivors, but, it's more of an instinct thing. Instead, all I thought of was keeping the people in the line of fire healed and safe.

And now they were dead. All of them. The infected that Clawer and I had been traveling with since not long after we were infected. I turned to the charred remains of the factory, filled with memories.

I remembered everyone laughing at Clawer when they found out about his rubber duck. I remembered everyone crying when we found out about _another _loss, a close friend lost to Cole and Gina.

_I'll never forget you._ I whisper to the remains of the building, the remains of a home, and of friends.

I turn and walk forwards, next to Clawer. He turned to me, but, instead of listening, I just nodded.

It was time to bring the fight to the enemy.

* * *

Unlike us, Cole and Gina seemed to work alone. I later realized that they had left their group behind and "scouted ahead" as Cole seemed to think. This fact gave us a somewhat more equal playing field. Two on two was the plan, though, Clawer and I both knew that those two would _never _fight fair. We found them, after nights of searching, on a deserted street, with blinking streetlights overhead.

"Ah look, our two _favourite _pieces of timber. How's it going?" Gina's mocking disdain hung in the air. Clawer and I said nothing, but, geared up to fight. Cole got up and sauntered closer to us, red, spiky hair rustling slightly in the wind. The cocky smirk on his face told us everything we needed to know.

He had known we weren't in the building.

"So, still won't consider joining us?" Cole asked, his tone said that he already knew the answer,

I gave it to him anyway.

"I'll die first."

Cole lowered his head, still grinning as he tensed up like a highly flammable cat ready to spring.

"Ah well..." He smirked.

'Can't win them all!" He yelled as he launched himself at us. Clawer and I both lept away, and Cole quickly rebounded to fight Clawer.

"You really should pay more attention." A voice hissed in my ear.

I let out a gasp as I whipped around, preparing to strike.

There was nothing behind me.

I mentally cursed as I looked around. Gina was a Siren, she could manipulate her vocal chords as well as a Tank could smash things. I glanced back towards Clawer and Cole, but, my vision was blocked by a ring of fire around the two. Clawer was better suited for ranged combat...

My breath was knocked away as Gina's hand connected with my stomach. I gasped as her fists hit me again and again, pummeling my doubled over body. I lashed out, and struck flesh. Gina hissed and backed away, into the shadows of a nearby alley. I charged after her, ignoring the pain in my side.

Once we were in the shadows, I realized my mistake. My vision was limited here, and Gina knew it. I would have to rely on hearing, which she could manipulate all too easily. A voice echoed down the alley, Clawer's.

"Healer, what are you doing? I need your help!"

I steeled myself against the voice of my dear friend. But, my resolve weakened as more voices joined in, the ones of the friends that Cole burned.

The friends Cole burned with Gina's help.

I just listened, standing perfectly still, perfectly alert. Gina couldn't manipulate my emotions so that I would make a mistake, but, she was still dangerous. The voices of the friends I had lost swirled around me, coming from all directions. I just listened, and waited.

And then, what I was waiting for called out to me.

Gina's true voice, the one that only surfaced when she used multiple voices at once, echoed out to me. It was a scratchy, garbled, mismatched thing. So different from the voice she always used, the voice she probably stole.

I charged towards the source of the sound, and grinned as the voice rose to a screech of surprise as my body connected with Gina's, tackling her. She countered, and punched me. I retorted with my own hands, punching and clawing the Siren.

Eventually though, she overpowered me, and grappled me into a headlock.

I could hardly move, I could hardly breath, but, I had an ace in the hole that Gina didn't know a thing about.

A thick green smoke wafted from my pores as I willed the defence mechanism inside me to life. The smoke rose around Gina and I, the former still thinking that this was ordinary smoke, porbably used for getaways.

It was anything but.

Gina cried out as the smoke burned her skin, her eyes, her throat. Her voice changed from three different pitches as she coughed and screamed, the smoke rising higher around her. The burning sensation overloaded her, and Gina collapsed to the floor, unconcious.

I grimaced as I felt wounds on my stomach and back, but, I shakily began to wobble over to where Cole and Clawer were fighting, claws and flames leaping back and forth.

I left Gina on the cold alley floor, not sure if she was alive or dead. It seems that she was alive though...

* * *

I was snapped out of my reverie by Clawer, sitting down on the corner of my materess. We just sat there in silence for a while, before he spoke.

"This time, we finish it."

I nodded.

Clawer had always told me that I was a pure soul, even if I was an infected. He said I was kind and beutiful, and that I should find someone who appreciates that.

He obviously still doesn't know how I feel...

But, what I want is for Clawer to be happy. If that means letting him go off and _live _with Witch, and make little sobbing, clawing babies, then, that's what I want him to do.

But...That doesn't mean I'll go down without a fight...

* * *

Aw...I like the line about sobbing, clawing babies...so CUTE!

Sigh...it's now...about 12:55 AM...and I'm TIRED...But! I just want to say this! If ANY of you ever wrote a book and got it published, I'd read it cover to cover!...But, then, I'd know your names...Eh, I don't think that'll matter much if you're published...I'm trying to write a book too, but, my ideas always seem corny and wierd and long winded and...sigh...teen angst SUCKS...If I'm like this when I'm 14, what does the future hold?

-Thinking of angst, publication, books and garlic pizza...

-Twilight Symphony


	4. Ebony Soul

Hiya! Scorpion won the question thingymabbober, and so, he picked this chapter! I hope you all like it, if not...well...BLAME SCORPION! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~

And am I the only one who loves the ~ key? (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2 or the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 in any way, shape, or form! Akikazemoon owns Taunter, Noir, Tai, the personalities that she has given to the already existing special infected, and the plot of the story. Commander of the Rabbids owns Sam. Sorrowsnow owns Calli. Zipper Whippersnapper owns Jeffry. Foxstar-Nukiu owns Valery. Coheed17 owns Claire. Breaking Ground owns Mike. Scorpion 123456 owns Clawer and Healer. TwilightSymphony owns Cole and Gina. MirrorDemonNema owns Angel. Uros Osium Tokker owns Alan. Kynmarcher17 owns Hammer. Dance in the Moonlight owns Ivy. ZombieFreak owns Mauler. KrystalDot owns Jojo. Dodgerjoey owns Eric. Tyrant Wolf owns Shawn. Awsomedacious1 owns Lurker. A Little Help Here owns Spectre. (Yes, I copied and pasted this...and edited it)

* * *

I let out a dry chuckle as I watch the scene below. Oh, the joy it brings me to see those oh-so-stupid infected run around like chickens on fire.

An apt comparison, considering their current situation...

Cole had, yet again, trapped those guys, yet again, in a fiery trap that spelt out doom for the lot of them. Though, I didn't see many ways they could escape from an alley blocked by two plumes of fire, but, those guys had the annoying habit of _not dying._

And it was really starting to get on Cole's nerves...

Personally, I could care less about what Cole thinks, even if he IS the "leader" of our little collection of freaks. But, when he can't burn anything in sight, and there's no other ways for him to unload his anger, he can get a little...well..._excited_...

And an _excited _Cole is one I could do without.

The idea of relationships between infected is not that far off from reality. I mean, we talk and think and feel, so, why shouldn't we feel love?

But what Cole feels for me (and, obviously, for that brown-haired girl) is _not _love.

It can be nice, sometimes, seeing the side of Cole that isn't thinking of fire and smoke all the time, the side of him that's closest to that little voice that nags on the inside of my head about how what I was doing was _wrong. _

And the worst part about it was, I remembered my past in vivid detail.

Now, it's not like I remember how to read or anything, but, I understood what I had been.

I had been in one of the oldest professions on the planet, if you get my meaning.

I had come from the streets, lived on the streets, and, since some consider my current state to not be living, died on the streets. I didn't remember how I got infected, but, I remembered my name. My _real _name was Jennifer.

I _hate _that name.

It reminded me of everything I lost, everything I had been, and so, Gina was born.

Anyway, as I was saying, Cole, the horny bastard, was a follower of his base impulses.

Eat, sleep, sex and burning things.

And right now, number 3 was on the top of the list.

Considering how he had just burnt all of the opposing team, leaving the entire conflict behind us (or so we thought) I suppose that it was natural to celebrate.

But I never put out for Cole, and I never will.

Sure, I had been a whore in my past life, sure, Cole and I fooled around sometimes (we never went _that _far, thank you very much.) but, I would never sleep with the bum.

Being a goddamned zombie might have something to do with it...

I got up and walked out of the base. The minute I saw that look in Cole's eyes, I knew it was time to split until he found something else to preoccupy himself with. Who knows? Maybe there would be a flammable chemical plant near here.

I walked away from the base, and from the burning alley. I saw Tai and Eric talking in the room at the back, it wasn't hard from the outside, the room was missing a wall, but, I paid them no heed.

The heat that followed me everywhere just added to my irritation.

I heard a few cackles from the Jockeys in the surrounding areas, and I let out a fake Witch-sob, scaring the lot of them off.

Even Jockeys knew not to mess with Witches...

I sighed, slightly bending my back backwards. Everyone in this group had their own powers, their own skills, with the exception of Tai and me. The two of us were the copy cats. At least I wasn't a black sheep like Eric and/or Tai, but, having to rely on others to actually harm the other infected was a bit of a pain.

I smirked as dark memories of tearing the flesh off of Commons when food was scarce returned to me. Cole and I hadn't had to resort to that yet, but, the sensation of that oh-so-sweet infected flesh underneath my teeth drove me wild with hunger.

* * *

After walking a ways, I noticed the carcass of a large dog on the road. Flies buzzed around it, and yet, no Commons had sunk their teeth into it yet. The animal was without fur, it's skin infected pink, similar to the skin of Tanks or jockeys. Scars riddled it's body, and blood poured from a few punctures.

It looked like Shawn was in town.

Oh how I hated that kiss-ass, always sucking up to that freak _bear _of his. That whistle of his was annoying too...

My mind drifted away from Shawn as the thought of whistles brought back memories of cat calls. I shook my head, pushing the annoying memories into the back of my mind.

The ones that took their place were _much _more preferable.

I remembered the last group of infected we had killed, how they had spent their days fortifying different locations, creating makeshift "outposts." I remembered how they had fortified a warehouse as their main base, and how quickly it had gone up in smoke, along with all of their outposts.

I also remembered two getting away.

We had had them cornered, Cole had trapped them in a literal "hall of fire", two walls of flame on either side of them. The others had been watching us from above, their not moving in a sign of "loyalty" for Cole. Shawn had mumbled something about an "alpha male"...whatever that means...

Anyway, those two disgusting _runts _had been caught between the warehouse wall and _us. _A Scorcher and Siren, with a horde of Commons surrounding the outside, and a pack of special infected above. It was _perfect, _it was a _masterpiece,_ it was the _end of Clawer and Healer!_

Or so we thought.

We had gotten sloppy. Clawer and Healer had backed into the wall closest to one of their "fallen" comrades, a tank...what was his name again?...

Oh yes, Victor. I remembered because Healer screamed it when he fell. The thought pulled a dark chuckle from me.

As I was saying, Clawer and Healer had backed into the wall behind where Victor lay, his huge body was a speed bump between us and them, not an obstacle, not a barrier, as it had been. Clawer and Healer were looking for a way out, any way out, but, they could find none. I remember laughing and taunting them in my "real" voice, telling them that it was _all their fault that their friends had died._ The two were distraught, the corpses of their friends around them.

It had made me so _happy._

_OH _how I regreted not making sure Victor was dead. That annoying tank had gotten up, even though it made certain that he would die, and slammed his fists into the floor. It had cracked, opening into the empty sewers below. Victor threw the two into the tunnel, and then hit the wall.

The debris had killed Victor, but, saved those two.

Imagine my delight, finding them here again. It filled me with a dark satisfaction. If there was one thing I detested most, it was when our prey got away...

Had I been human, perhaps that would have shocked me.

* * *

I had been a whore, a monster, a killer and a cannibal. Cole always told me how my soul was pitch black, even before I was infected. Now, it was easier to do all of this, and, to keep everyone else miserable.

* * *

Yes, yes, I know it's short, but, I don't really like writing about the sensitive subject of...the s word...especially between zombies! Ugh...the mental image is SO disturbing...

Next one will probably be about Jeffie, so, be ready for the insane CUTENESS! It'll combat the EVIL that is ColexGina.

-Twilight Symphony.


	5. Halcyon Wings

HI! Here's the Jeffie chappie, but, it is not so cute...more angst...but! Hurt/Comfort with Jeffie is the BEST! XD!

And, I'm considering getting a netbook, but, A: I don't know which kind to get, and B: I don't know if I should get a Netbook or Laptop...

Tell meh what u thinks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2 or the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 in any way, shape, or form! Akikazemoon owns Taunter, Noir, Tai, the personalities that she has given to the already existing special infected, and the plot of the story. Commander of the Rabbids owns Sam. Sorrowsnow owns Calli. Zipper Whippersnapper owns Jeffry. Foxstar-Nukiu owns Valery. Coheed17 owns Claire. Breaking Ground owns Mike. Scorpion 123456 owns Clawer and Healer. TwilightSymphony owns Cole and Gina. MirrorDemonNema owns Angel. Uros Osium Tokker owns Alan. Kynmarcher17 owns Hammer. Dance in the Moonlight owns Ivy. ZombieFreak owns Mauler. KrystalDot owns Jojo. Dodgerjoey owns Eric. Tyrant Wolf owns Shawn. Awsomedacious1 owns Lurker. A Little Help Here owns Spectre. (Yes, I copied and pasted this...and edited it)

* * *

**Chapter 5: Halcyon Wings.**

The infected were huddled together, the darkness outside broken only by the thin moonlight, so distant. It felt like their hope, so far away. Endless happy days, gone by, only to be faced with this challenge, which could very well be the end of all of them.

But, they hadn't given up yet.

All of the group were there, all but one.

All but me.

I lay, curled into myself, on the mattress. My eyes stung with anger, closed shut, but, not sleeping. I was listening, listening to the battle's that hadn't taken place yet. The battles where my friends might be struck down.

And I wouldn't be there to help them.

I hated my weakness. I couldn't help them. I couldn't save them. I was a child to them, a family member they couldn't abandon, wouldn't abandon. I was a burden, unable to fight, unable to protect.

_What good am I? _I asked myself, endless questions echoing through my head, filling it with dark water, drowning me in endless visions of blood and death.

I listened to Hunter and Sam argue over which strategy was best, which area they should make their stand. The others had fallen silent, the two of them fighting more ferociously than ever before.

I heard Blake's deep voice rise from his huge chest, a warning growl to Hunter. Everyone fell silent after that.

And then I heard Taunter's voice echo across the alley.

"What are we going to do about Jeffry?"

The others had fallen silent, their normally loud voices disappearing completely.

_Why do they worry about me especially?_

Memories of living on my own, searching alleys for dark and dusty objects, came back to me. I had found a family here, and I thought of them as good friends...but...what am I to them?

"The kid can't fight, he shouldn't be on the battlefield." Blake's voice rose after a moment of silence.

My eyes opened slowly, the feeling of the floor giving out beneath me was stronger than ever.

"It would be best if we were to fortify a safe house, so that Jeffie could wait during the battle. We need someone to guard him too..." Smoker's normally warm, but, rational voice was cold and distant. A wall of ice.

I sprung up from the bed, my mouth worked but, no sound came from it. The others all turned to me, shocked. I could see the guilt on their faces, I knew that they thought that I hadn't been listening.

"NO!" The shout startled me. When had my voice gotten so loud?

"I want to fight too! You can't expect me to...expec...t" I trailed off, looking at the ground.

Clawer rose, and walked over to me. I was expecting a hit, a yell, some kind of attack. But, what hit me was worse.

In an ever so silent voice, he said:

"You're useless in this fight. What gives _you _the right to complain?"

I stared at him, my eyes wide with shock. The others were shadows, I couldn't see their expressions.

My eyes turned downwards once more. The ground was cold underneath my feet.

"What do _you _care?" I retorted bitterly. "You could just leave us at any time. _You _don't care about _ANY _OF US!" With that, I turned and ran down the alley.

"Jeff! WAIT!" I heard Taunter's cry, but, I didn't listen. My head lowered, tackling the wind that signalled another storm, as I tore out of the alley.

* * *

I watched Jeffry go, my bitterness and anger dissipating as I felt the glares of the others on the back of my neck.

"Let's go. We need to find him." Smoker's voice was the unanimous decision.

The others ran out of the alley, all of them glaring at me as they passed. Regret welled up inside my heart. I turned to Healer, the last one left in the alley. She ran past me, she didn't even look at me.

I turned and watched her go. The gnawing in my chest was so great now that I felt like I couldn't bear this, no matter how much time I had left to.

I sighed, and punched myself, my body tensing against it, it didn't hurt. I ran out into the grey street.

* * *

I walked, far away from the others, from the alley. My feet hurt, though, I didn't notice it. The pain in my chest was so much greater than anything else.

_You're useless in this fight._

My eyes stung, as I wiped away the water that had began to form there. I remembered that real men didn't cry, at least, not from this. I tried to keep this as my focus. It helped, kind of.

Until I heard a voice I knew all too well.

"Something wrong, kid?"

I leapt around, seeing Cole standing there. I raised my fists, ready to fight.

_You're useless. _

I shook off the memory, and narrowed my eyes.

"What do you want, Cole?"

He stood from his leaning position against a brick wall, and that cocky smirk rose to his face.

"Oh nothing, just walking around the town that'll be _mine _soon."

I said nothing, just gritting my teeth in preparation for the fight.

"And, what a coincidence, I meet a Sniffer, my least favourite kind of infected. Of course, _you _know _why that is..._" He said.

"Anyway, the reason I'm talking to you, instead of burning you to a crisp, is because..." he continued.

"I want you to join me."

_"What?"_ I gasped.

He walked towards me, ever so calm.

"I want you to join me Jeffry. I need someone to help me bring those idiot you've been hanging around with down. You know you can do better than them."

"I'll never betray my friends! Especially not to you!" I cried, my voice raising, in a desperate hope that someone would hear me.

"Oh? You've done it before."

I grimaced. "That was a very long time ago. I didn't know any better, considering how I was _8 _at the time! You tricked me!"

Cole sighed. "I suppose that means that I'll have to burn you now. Such a shame really." I waited for the fire.

"But...it'll have to be another time. I'll give you some time to think your options over. _Do _hurry though, Jeffry. You don't have all the time in the world."

I turned and bolted, down another street.

Tears flowed freely from my eyes now.

* * *

"Jeffry!" I shouted, nervous chuckles escaping my voice in between shouts. Hunter leapt around the rooftops above, trying to find the small infected.

"Where are you...?" My voice fell to a whisper.

Hunter landed behind me. "Don't worry Taunter, we'll find him."

"I hope so..." My soul felt like it was made of lead.

_If only I had stopped him..._

* * *

My head was filled with angry thoughts, directed at my friend, my _oldest _friend that I could remember, Clawer. Why had he said those things to Jeffie? What did he think _he was DOING?_

I sighed, head dropping.

_When we find Jeffie, He'd better hope that he's okay..._

* * *

I had been running for a long time. I left Cole standing at the intersection, and had just kept running. I felt like curling up and sleeping forever.

I was so confused.

I slowed to a walk, quietly sobbing. _What can I do? _I thought.

_What gives YOU the right to complain?_

I spotted a familiar white dress. Gray hair and white eyes that were turned away from me. I ran towards the familiar, albeit strange, woman.

"_Granny!"_ I let out a shout. She turned to me, and smiled comfortingly. The weight in my chest lifted slightly as I reached her. The tears flowing down my cheeks and the snuffle in my breath must have tipped her off.

"Goodness, child. Whatever is the matter?" she asked, pulling me into a comforting hug.

I tried to tell her what was wrong, but, the lump in my throat blocked all efforts. The rain began to fall around us, thunder and lightning flashing around the sky.

I let out a wail as the rain fell around me, thunder howling with me. The streets and sky wept with me as I let every tortured emotion out. Granny held me close, whispering comforts to me.

"There, there. It's all right. It'll be okay..." The warm embrace comforted me. It reminded me of bad dreams, broken by a loving embrace.

A few moments went by, and the sadness receded enough for me to talk.

I told her the whole story.

* * *

I walked down the street, rain and thunder pushing down on me. My claws flexed nervously and my hand fiddled with themselves. Black hair fell in front of my face, but, I didn't mind.

What I was focused on was Jeffie.

The street was empty, though, I saw a figure at the end of the street. I began to run, pushing myself further, towards the solitary figure, thinking it was Jeffie.

When I reached the intersection, I knew it wasn't immediately.

"Heya Clawer. How's it going?" Cole greeted me sarcastically, as always.

I raised a hand without a word, and fired.

* * *

We saw the plume of smoke rise from a distant street, a beacon for both us and Cole's team.

Hunter and I ran towards it, without a word.

Smoker and Boomer joined us after a few moments, their search ending as abruptly as ours.

As we ran along, different pairs joined our growing group. Sam and Blake, Calli and Spectre, Valery and Angel.

We were all running towards the same goal.

* * *

I dodged the burst of flame, and retaliated with a volley of claws. Cole raised a wall of fire, and dodged at the same time. I didn't have time to make the claws home in on him. I would have to do this manually...

I used both hands and sent volley after volley, dodging Cole's explosive I took Cole down, it would end it there.

I dodged again, crouching as I landed from the jump. The blood in my hands welled into my claws.

I fired, the claws homing in on the elusive Scorcher. He smirked, and grappled onto the fire escape.

I grimaced, sneering at the evil infected. "What did you do to Jeffry?"

"Oh? Showing concern for the enemy?" Cole laughed.

"_What?" _

I felt the ground beneath me give out. I jumped, reaching a rusty ladder of another fire escape. Below me, Mauler roared, and launched another attack towards me. Gina and Ivy watched in amusement, voices starting to call Commons towards us.

In the back of my mind, one thought echoed.

_You better be safe Jeffry!_

_

* * *

_

I sat on the curb, munching on a cookie that Granny had given me. She sat next to me, and was currently giving me advice.

"Well, from what I can understand, you feel like a burden to your group?"

I nodded.

"And Cole is giving you a chance to join _his _group?"

I nodded.

"Kids today..." She let out an airy sigh. "All of you are so consumed with fighting each other. What happened to sharing?"

"It's hard to share with someone who wants to burn you to the ground."

She sighed, and nodded.

"Yes, I know. When I was younger...well, you don't want to hear that story, but, anyway, my point is, what do _you _want to do?"

I sat there, munching on a stale chocolate chip cookie, and lost myself in thought.

_Did I want to join Cole's team? No, of that I was sure of, I didn't want to join that pyromaniacs destruction squad._

_But, could I actually help the others in any way?_

"They're important to you, aren't they?" Granny asked, mouth still held in that ever-present motherly smile.

"Yes. I want to protect them." My voice was firm. I was sure.

"Then go, and tell them that." She said, and gently pushed me up from the curb.

I nodded. My eyes were strong, my heart was sure, and I was ready.

"Thank you Granny." I said.

She smiled, and nodded, before shuffling away, towards the grocery store.

I turned and ran, not away this time, but towards my friends. A plan hatched inside my mind, and I turned towards where I saw Cole last.

I was going to protect _them _this time.

* * *

I let out a cackle as I watched Sam and Blake take on Mauler. Healer was currently planting a foot in Gina's face, and Clawer and Cole were still dueling. I charged into the fray, Hunter close behind me. Ivy and Shawn braced themselves, ready for our attack.

And then, suddenly, the fighting ceased, broken apart by a shout.

Everyone, both Cole's and my team, turned to the source of the noise. There, atop a small building, not much taller than a shack, was Jeffie.

"Guys! RUN!" He shouted, and we all watched the small infected heave a box over the side of the building. Smoker, Boomer, Healer, and all of our group retreated in an instant. We knew what the box probably contained.

And so, we booked it.

I smirked as I heard Gina and Ivy's voice crack as the Commons that they had been calling grew into a violent frenzy. There were at least a dozen boomer bile jars inside the box, hidden there as a precaution, so that Cole's group could not get their hands on it.

Jeffie's strategy took that a step further.

The screeches of the Commons echoed down the street as we fled. Jeffie ran out of an alley to join us as we charged down the street.

We had made it. Jeffie was safe, and we had struck a blow against the enemy.

* * *

When we got back, I hadn't expected the warm welcome that I recieved. Sam headlocked me and gave me a noogie while Blake laughed. Healer hugged me, with many repeated "Don't _ever_ do that again!" Smoker scolded me, but, the smile on his face told me everything I needed to know. Kat was _purring._

After the whoops and cheers had settled, and Healer had patched everyone up, Clawer stood at the entrence. The others looked on, not saying anything.

"Look...Jeffry, I didn't mean..." Clawer looked at the ground.

I walked up and patted him on the back.

"I understand big guy. Cole has us all rattled."

And then, a rare occurence ocurred.

Clawer smiled.

And we all smiled back.

* * *

Okay! Call the angst the result of listening to sad piano music while writing the first 6, give or take a bit, pages. I hope you liked it! I didn't really see many ways that Jeffie could help in a fight, but, setting off traps seems to be a skill of his XD.

I hope I didn't offend any of the OCs makers with this...somewhat odd interpretation...

And now, the next quote question! (All I have to do is think of one...)

OH! I KNOW! It's not a quote question, but, it's a question nonetheless! (Note, to the creator of this character, you can't answer this time! Sorry buddy XD!)

Which Infected has a rubber ducky?

-Twilight Symphony


	6. Ember Revenge: Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2 or the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 in any way, shape, or form! Akikazemoon owns Taunter, Noir, Tai, the personalities that she has given to the already existing special infected, and the plot of the story. Commander of the Rabbids owns Sam. Sorrowsnow owns Calli. Zipper Whippersnapper owns Jeffry. Foxstar-Nukiu owns Valery. Coheed17 owns Claire. Breaking Ground owns Mike. Scorpion 123456 owns Clawer and Healer. TwilightSymphony owns Cole and Gina. MirrorDemonNema owns Angel. Uros Osium Tokker owns Alan. Kynmarcher17 owns Hammer. Dance in the Moonlight owns Ivy. ZombieFreak owns Mauler. KrystalDot owns Jojo. Dodgerjoey owns Eric. Tyrant Wolf owns Shawn. Awsomedacious1 owns Lurker. A Little Help Here owns Spectre. (Yes, I copied and pasted this...and edited it)

* * *

Boomer walked towards the assembled infected. They were all currently doing something to pass the time. Angel and tank were playing rock, paper, scissors. Calli was fiddling with a spray paint can while Jeffie tried to see his reflection in it. Alan was polishing his gun.

Boomer wheeled the shopping cart, filled with provisions, into the alley. The others leapt up, like kids, excited by the thought of somewhat-fresh food, taken from a new grocery store that they had discovered. Meat and other provisions were passed around, though, the "vegetables" that Granny had forced him to take were never touched.

Jeffie, noticing the plant-type foodstuffs, spoke up. "You ran into Granny?" Boomer nodded, remembering how the blind infected had literally pushed the veggies into his cart, along with packages of cookies.

_Looking out for Jeffie._ He thought, before pulling a poorly tasting piece of meat from its package.

* * *

Once everyone was fed, there was little to do, except for the usual activities. Jeffie and Boomer (The resident strategists) looked over the survivor map, thinking up battle plans and the like. Clawer and Healer were currently out, scouting around for Cole's team, or, though it was unlikely, any friendly special infected. The others switched between guard duty, and respite.

The dust flew by.

It was a slow night...

But, as was custom, that was susceptible to change.

Boomer and Jeffie turned to each other, before nodding. They had finally come up with a suitable plan. Or, at least, they thought so.

They turned to Taunter, beckoning her over, explaining the different marks of red pen on the map, showing her their plan. She looked over it for a few seconds, before nodding and smiling.

"I think it's a good one."

The others approached, sitting down around the map, all of them nodding, agreeing with the plan.

"It'll take a lot of preparation...but, it should work..." Smoker mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Taunter had walked away, looking up at the moon, oh so high above them.

"It's time...time for us to defend our home."

* * *

Flames exploded in vast seas of fire as Cole launched another blast towards Hunter and Sam. The two Hunters pounced and jumped out of the way, the flames soaring behind them as they grappled onto one of the city's _many _fire escapes. Taunter and Healer fought with Gina and Ivy, kicking, pulling and biting, while Angel and Blake took on Mauler and Hammer. Echo and Jojo were squaring off, despite the difference in size.

Jeffie jumped from rooftop to rooftop, checking on the wires and ropes that had been set up. Spectre was currently working with Smoker to hold back the horde of Commons that Gina and Ivy had called.

_All right. It's set._ Jeffie thought as he made his way back to the closest rooftop. Pulling a red piece of cloth out of his too-big jacket, he waved it as a signal.

Hunter smirked, sharp teeth showing.

"See ya, Cole."

Jeffie pulled the string.

Suddenly, a tidal wave of barrels and trash cans erupted from the inclined road, crashing down towards the group. The others ran into alleys, climbing up towards the rooftops where Jeffie and the others were waiting. Cole yelled in surprise, running down the main street. The other evil infected followed suit, but, the others weren't finished yet.

Jeffie signalled hunter, who grinned and snapped a rope with his sharp teeth. A landslide of bricks tumbled from the nets supporting them. They crashed in the path where Cole and his group were heading, blocking their escape. The avalanche of cans and barrels grew ever closer, the sheer force could be _heard_.

Cole cursed as the two traps blocked his escape. He darted into a nearby alley, trying to dodge the incoming attack. The other enemy infected scattered, pulling the same stunt. Sam and Blake jumped down into different alleys, cutting Shawn and Mauler off. Angel followed suit, bringing Hammer's flight to a halt. Alan was currently shooting at Jojo from the rooftops, but, the hyperactive Jockey was an erratic target.

"Echo! Now!" Jeffie yelled across the buildings where the various infected were scattered.

"All right, all right! Keep your shirt on!" Her Boston accent was stronger than ever as she brought her hand to the rope atop her head, and snapped it with one quick motion.

The infected who weren't being blocked by Sam, Blake or Angel, were met with another trap. Buckets filled with clear liquid turned and fell coating whatever infected that were unfortunate enough to be in the way. (Cole was not coated in the substance.)

Taunter looked over the side of the rooftop that she and Tank were currently on. She chuckled nervously, and turned to Tank.

"Better not drop me big guy." She said, voice cracking from the chuckling reflex.

Tanks grumbled, and scooped the diminutive infected into his huge arms. He sucked in a huge breath, before leaping off the side of the rooftop, down past the remains of the avalanche. He landed with a huge _crash_ . He set Taunter down.

"You better be careful. For all of us."

"I'll be fine. See you at home."

Taunter walked towards the regrouping evil infected. Tai and the others watched from a rooftop, desperate to help, but, knowing that doing so would only ruin the plan.

Taunter stood, the other infected watching her. Pieces of concrete moved in the wind in front of them.

You could feel the tension in the air.

"Is that all you've got? A few trash cans and bricks?" Cole taunted.

"That's a lot of talk, coming from someone who ran like a little girl." Taunter shot back, her face defiant.

Cole growled, and raised a hand.

"You know, you're _way _too pretty to burn into ashes, but, I'll make an exception."

"Go ahead. See if you can hit me." Taunter didn't move, only stood there, alone against the monsters that threatened her home.

Cole grimaced, before letting out a wild yell and snapping his fingers. Flames burst from them, and raced towards Taunter.

But, they never hit her.

The flames seemed to bend in midair, turning towards the close packed group of evil infected. The substance that had fallen on them had been _gasoline_, collected for this very purpose. Gina let out a shriek as the fire encompassed her, before she ran from the formation. The other ignited infected ran after her, caught in surprise and agony.

Taunter smirked as Cole howled in anger. Only he was impervious to the fire.

The plan had worked. First, engage the enemy, and draw them towards the selected area. Then, set off the traps, cutting them off and trapping them in the road. Block the alleys and stop their escape. Douse them with gasoline traps, and make them regroup with Cole.

And then, goad Cole into setting his teammates on fire.

Taunter smirked as she watched Cole's group run around. Her smirk vanished as she saw Hammer slam his fists into a fire hydrant. The spray of water that escaped began to douse the flames. The burning infected ran towards it, eager to put out the fire.

Hunter jumped down next to Taunter, and she climbed onto his back.

"We've done all we can do for now. We'll get them next time." He growled. Taunter climbed on and Hunter leapt to one of the nearby rooftops.

The other retreated as well, their whoops of victory and cheers echoing behind them long after they had left. Cole's howls of rage seemed to bounce off of them. Even if he found out where they were staying _currently,_ he wouldn't be able to _do anything _for a while.

They had won the battle. Next time, they would win the war.

* * *

The cheers and yells died down as they reached home. Angel and tank were high-fiving, the sound of the two tanks echoing across the empty street. Clawer and Healer were laughing, Smoker and Calli walking hand-in hand, and blushing furiously. Hunter still carried Taunter, even though she could have walked. Even Witch was smiling slightly. Boomer looked up at the huge moon above them, seeming so pure.

"_A short rest could do us some good._" The thought brought a smile to his lips.

The inside of the alley, littered with mattresses and graffiti, never seemed quite so _safe._ Cole was still out there, but, he wouldn't attack them without the help of his team.

_If he does...we'll be ready._ Boomer reassured himself as he walked into the alley.

* * *

Cole growled as he and his _extremely_ burnt companions trudged into their base. The others were mad as hell, but, more focused on killing the enemy. Cole slammed a fist into the side of the wall, cracking it slightly.

_Even if we attack them, with the others in this state, we'll just be BEATEN again!_ The thought snapped in Cole's head. He sighed, and slumped down against the floor. The others had begun healing themselves with survivor med-kits, but, burns had the nasty habit of _hurting _for a long time.

_They've won this round...but, we WILL have revenge..._

Cole smirked as the thought swam in the dark corners of his mind, growing into a plot.

* * *

Okay! There we go! Akikazemoon won the question! And picked a chapter called "Zephyr Soul", but, I DIDN'T WRITE IT!

I'm sorry Akikaze-chan! I know, I said I'd do Zephyr Soul, but, I was listening to music and a battle theme from a game came up and the idea stuck! I hope you can forgive meee! Pwease?

I'll try to do Zephyr Soul next, it's one of the ones I'm having troubles with...And there was a big lack of Clawer and Healer in this one! Sorry Scorp! You know they get the most screentime in this fic...I think...

K! No question this time. Sorry!

until next time!

-Twilight Symphony


	7. Ember Revenge: Part 2

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN LEFT 4 DEAD, LEFT 4 DEAD 2, OR ANY OF THE OCS, OR PERSONALITIES FOR THE "ORIGINAL" INFECTED. I DO, HOWEVER, OWN MY OWN OCS, COLE AND GINA AND GRANNY!

* * *

My eyes drifted open as my head screamed in pain. Gray concrete welcomed me like a long lost friend. I groaned and pushed myself into a sitting position, gaining more vantage.

The sight before me was quiet, undisturbed. There was no sound, simply...silence.

To see the bloodstained concrete in front of me was disturbing. I clutched my head, thoughts swimming like countless shadowed fish.

The last thing I remembered were teeth...and eyes and blood and a voice.

_COLE!_

The name was like a smack to the face. Whoever screamed it was probably screaming at me. I couldn't see who it was, the bodies of...

The bodies.

The infected.

The thoughts struck me again, leaving me short of breath as I gasped. the thought of the zombies tearing into my skin was fresh, as was the pain. Oh the _pain._

I grasped the large wound that one particularly relentless zombie had given me. It stiffened underneath my touch, as if the muscles themselves were not my own.

I moaned again as I tried to stand, muscles pushing against me. I walked forwards, toward the park, so deserted in front of me. Water rose weakly from a wounded fountain, pushing against the darkness with its remaining strength. I gazed into the reflection. Red irises stared back at me, framed by black where white should have been.

I was Infected.

Do you ever get that feeling of the world collapsing around you? That sentiment of utter and complete defeat? The ruins of my life, broken and shattered brick walls around me, broke into a million pieces, and drifted away in the sand of my own personal desert.

I jerked away from the fountain, running hands over my body, trying to find some _trace_ of humanity. Claws had replaced fingertips, fangs, teeth. My body remained, otherwise, widely unchanged. Or, at least, I had hoped so.

I tried to recall my school, what I learned there, anyone I knew, but, very little remained. All I could remember is that scream, and that gruesome image*.

_COLE!_

I shook my head, and approached the fountain once more.

I cupped a hand to it, and shivered when the cold liquid touched me. Bringing the hand to my mouth, I drank the cold liquid.

It was as if someone had poured liquid nitrogen down my throat.

I coughed and spat, trying to dislodge what felt like a chunk of ice in my throat. The water trickled down my throat, pushing against the heated walls. I collapsed again, the cold pulling me back down into a stupor.

* * *

When I awoke again, there was a woman in front of me. She had gray hair, tied back into a spiky bun behind her ears. She regarded me with a soft smile on her face, eyes hidden by a cloth with spiralling patterns on it. Her white dress was unmarred, clean. Gray skin, so much like my own, was beautiful on her, while seeming sick and undead on me. The moon seemed to shine brighter when she was there, in front of me. The winds whipped around her gently, leaved spiralling upwards behind her.

I watched her, eyes taking in the withered skin, and the thin lips pressed in a smile. The cloth, I now saw, had designs spiralling round it, forming thin outlines of eyes across it's expanse.

She crossed the courtyard and knelt next to me, like a knight swearing fealty. I watched, eyes wide, as her mouth formed three words.

"Are you Cole?"

I couldn't answer. Inwardly, I was screaming that I was, but, my lips never formed the response.

Her smile grew grim as she understood, and, there, in that courtyard, she spoke words that I remember to this day:

_With each chaotic flame that you light,_

_Another will be drawn into your deathly fight,_

_Each one of your allies, you will find,_

_Under each moons radiant shine,_

_And after blood is spilled by claw and tooth,_

_At last, you will find your new life's one truth._

With that, she rose and turned. Looking over her shoulder, she gave me one last reassurance.

"You'll find your way, Cole."

I sunk back into oblivion.

* * *

(A/N: Note: Cole does not remember the woman.)

As my eyes flew open, my body much stronger now, I looked around. The sun was high in the endless sky, shining down with all of its heat. Surprisingly, the heat didn't bother me. I walked down the stone steps, away from the fountain, and into the street.

I did not notice the burn marks behind me, scorching half of the building I had been leaning against when I first awoke.

* * *

When I had stepped out into the street, the first thing I noticed were the overturned cars. They remained, crushed into the ground, the blood of their drivers dripping against their windshield. As I continued to walk, I found what I would later learn were called "Commons". Their crazed gabbling and screeching echoed down the street, filling me with a kind of sick fascination. One approached me, grunting as if challenging me. I backed away, before it charged towards me. The others paid no heed, continuing to wander round in their drunk on infection stupor.

As it neared, I pulled back a limb, preparing to strike. I smashed my fist against its face, intending on taking a few teeth with it.

Instead, flames burst from my hand when they touched the skin of the Common.

It screeched in pain as the fire consumed it. The others looked on in drunk horror, watching the other burning alive. I looked at my hand, shock and horror arching across my face. The other infected turned growls towards me, before charging in my direction.

My surprise quickly turned to further anger, flames licking across my arms in synchronization.

I was going to fight.

I charged right back at them, flames burning the concrete at my feet. I leapt into the air, and delivered at kick to the first Common I could get my hands on. He burst into flames, but, kept clawing at me. I delivered a quick punch to his head, overheating what was left of his brain. His head exploded, leaving a gory mess as his body collapsed.

I turned quickly, and shot another punch towards the nearest Common. This one had the sense to dodge, but, I used the momentum from the punch to land a second strike. he burst into flames and ran, screeching from where I stood. The two others lunged at me, but, I swept one of their feet out from beneath it and set it's rotting legs on fire with the motion. Excess flames arched and burned around me, leaping off of my skin and charring the earth near me.

The second infected back away, and turned to flee. The anger in my head hollered to hunt him, to finish him off. I followed it's directions and dashed with incredible speed towards him. I closed a hand around his neck and turned him to me. He gnashed his teeth and tried to bite my face off. I looked into the eyes, so clouded and mindless.

"I'm doing you a favour." I said as the flames consumed him, burning the Common to a crisp.

Flames continued to leak from my arms as more and more of the mindless zombies poured from the surrounding buildings. They, having no sense of self preservation, could not think enough to avoid the fire that was quickly forming a sea around me. The few that got through were met with quickly-dispatching punches and kicks, turning their bodies to dust.

The fire continued to echo outward pushing and pushing and pushing some more against the brickwork. Charring the street in its entirety, the fire used the bodies of the other infected as timber.

Even when they began to flee, the fire did not pause. Instead, it seemed to chase after them. I sat in the middle, fire exploding from my skin, though, I felt nothing.

A black blur passed into my vision, a small flash of colourlessness on the corner of my sight.

I turned my head to the side, eyes widening as the shadow leapt towards me. A hand grappled my forehead, it's owner's body not breaking stride.

And then, suddenly, the flames died on my skin. The ones surrounding me were, well, _pulled_ into the man who was now simply pushing his hand against my brow. I saw black hair, shaggy and spiked, but, it's owner's face was covered in shadow.

Suddenly, a wave of fatigue assaulted me, pushing me back into the familiar inky depths of unconsciousness.

When I awoke, the first thing that came to my mind was the fire, naturally. I leapt from my limp position and pulled my fists in front of me.

What greeted me was an empty street, devoid of any life or movement, and _was that a tumbleweed?_

"I'm over here."

The cultured voice that came from behind me made me leap out of my skin, before I gathered my wits and swung a hand at where the voice came from. Flames exploded from it, scorching the air.

And they promptly went out.

I stared at the hand, puzzled before shaking it a few times. No blaze ignited from the fist. The figure stepped out of the shadows, and I saw his face for the first time.

He was unshaven, which wasn't that unusual for an Infected. He had shaggy hair that hung to his earlobes, a dark brownish black. He was dressed from head to toe in black, a trench coat hanging to his knees. Red eyes stared at me from pale sockets.

And he also had fire emanating from his fist.

"You know, it is kind of a given to know what you're aiming at before firing." His face remained stoic, his voice, an enigma. I thought I heard traces of Russian or French in his accent, but, I couldn't decide on where it was from.

"Not with me." I quipped, before performing a blazing roundhouse kick that the man irritatingly dodged.

I lashed out again, fire crackling around my arm. He made no move to put it out as before, but, instead, let fire escape from his own hands.

"Very well, let us dance."

With that, he parried my blow and struck me across the face. The fire didn't hurt me, but I still felt his blow as clear as day. Growling, I pushed out again, lunging towards him. He dodged and tripped me, sending me careening into an alley. Walking calmly behind me, he waited for me to get up and charge again before catching me in a one armed grapple and flinging me back out of the narrow space.

I growled again, and stood.

_I'm not giving up._

* * *

An hour had passed, and I hadn't hit this guy _once._ I was currently nursing a couple of bruises, but, I was, for the most part, intact. The man had stopped moving as I charged towards him again. As I neared him, I prepared a knee and punch.

I never even got the chance.

Without so much as taking a step, he grabbed my head and slammed me into the concrete, leaving indentations and cracks behind my skull. A thin crater had formed around where I was grinded into the stone, making my body look like a Cole-shaped meteor.

"Are you finished yet?"

I growled, but, stayed limp. That no good...

My bloody thoughts were interrupted as he pulled me from the crater and...dusted me off?

He sighed and grinned.

" I am glad we got that sorted out. Now, if you are quite ready, I'd like to extend the invitation of a relatively decent meal and a warm place to sleep. Must beat rooftops, eh?"

"Eh? What are you, Canadian?"

He shrugged. "Probably. I seem to recall a few words of another language...French, I think it was called..."** He shrugged again, and I let the matter drop.

"You said something about food?"

He laughed and ruffled my hair. I hated that action _soooo_ much...but, he had food, so, I followed him as he walked into the night.

* * *

I had quickly learned that it helped to have friends, or, at least, teammates when you were a...well, a zombie.

Cedric, the infected I had met before, led me into the small abandoned CEDA encampment that was their base. He was greeted by a blonde haired woman running towards him and looping herself into his embrace. By force of habit, I ran my eyes over her...figure...

And I felt a pang of beast-like envy.

I suppressed it. Better _not _to get on Cedric's bad side.

I was quickly introduced to Mona, the only female in the group and Cedric's girlfriend...assuming that zombies _have _girlfriend/boyfriend status...wouldn't it be mate? I threw that thought out the window too.

Walking into the tent, I saw a hoodie wearing infected pacing in a corner and another infected, taking a drag on a nearby crate. They both turned towards me eerily at the same time, before the smoking infected spoke up.

"You can't keep him Ced."

_What am I, a stray cat?_

(A/N: I apologize, gentle reader, but, I must resort to the bane of all good writers...Curse Words!")

"Aw, fuck you Bernard, he's a Scorcher."

_A what?_

I repeated my thoughts, and everyone in the room double took.

"You don't _know?_"

As soon as Cedric recovered from shock, he shook his head.

"I'll tell you later...anyway, Bernard, Desmond, this is...I'm sorry, your name?"

Doubt reared its ugly head, before I decided to, against my primary instincts, tell these _people_ my name.

"Cole...I think..."

"Don't worry about it, none of us really remember our names that well either." The hoodie guy piped up, fanged smile popped up from the shadows of his hood.

"I still don't think we have enough room..." Bernard said, shaking his head.

"_All right! _That's enough you lot! Time to eat!" Mona pulled a few packages of meat from the shelf.

I watched in amazement as the three squabbling guys stopped and stood up straight.

"Yes Ma'am!"

_What did I just get into?_

* * *

After a (thankfully) heated meal, thanks to Cedric's fire, we sat in the tent as rain and cold growled outside the white walls.

"So, as you don't seem to know, there are many different types of Infected. There are Commons, those snarling ghouls out there, and then there are the rest, known as the "Special Infected." These infected have different names, depending on their type. Bernard is a Smoker, Desmond is a Hunter, Mona is a...well, we don't exactly _know..._but, we are Scorchers."

"Scorchers?"

"Yes. We who are gifted and cursed with the power to pull flames from the very air, to create bonfires from our skin, and to shape and meld the destructive elemental power of the blaze." He waved his hand in a flourish, sparks drifting from it.

His head was promptly hit by a fist, belonging to his girlfriend.

"Don't listen to this pompous idiot." She hugged Cedric, who was clutching his poor head, from behind. "Scorchers can be greatly powerful, however, only when they know how to actually control fire. Cedric, unlucky bastard that he is, learned how to use his powers the hard way."

"I was lucky enough to meet you." He said, laughing.

"After lighting half the town on fire."

He sighed, still laughing.

_You could use them._ A voice echoed in my head, a voice eerily similar to my own. _Use them, and then burn them. Turn them to ash, slice and slaughter, execute and butcher..._***

"Would you teach me?"

I didn't think, I didn't doubt, I just asked. My mind was scheming, planning, as I probably had when I had been normal.

Cedric looked at me, black where white should be, red irises boring into me.

He sighed, accent increasing.

"Fine. We start tomorrow."

* * *

And start we did.

I dodged a burst of fire as Cedric let a punch extend towards me. I growled, but, did not retaliate against his attack. The only rule to this training was: Dodge. Don't fight back.

I still think that he somehow saw me and this is payback for checking out his girl.

I let out a hoarse yell as I leapt off the side of the small house, tumbling into the underbrush below. As I fell, I cursed.

_Underbrush BURNS._

Leaping from my prone position, I darted out of the grass and tried to make it to the rusty play set that was left over from a ruined daycare. Hopping onto the slide, I turned and looked for Cedric in the fog.

I ducked hastily as a fireball flew at my head.

"I told you! Don't stop running!"

I growled as I took off again.

* * *

I was, shockingly, finding that I had become attached to the very people I wished to betray. It was the act of a moron!

I tossed this back and forth one night when I was lying in bed, staring out the clear plastic doors of the tent. Cedric was annoying, but, for some reason, I enjoyed his company. Mona was kind and sweet, but, I knew I had no chance with her. Desmond and Bernard were cool, though, Bernard hated my guts.

But, they were hiding something...

I shrugged. Probably Infection related paranoia.

* * *

As I sat, cross legged, in the freezing rain, while Desmond and Bernard laughed their asses off at me and Mona gave me looks of sympathy. Cedric was staring at me, arms crossed, eyes cold and hard.

"I had to go through the same thing, so don't you dare complain." He had said.

The point of this exercise was to use your fire to heat your body, without actually starting a fire. Some kind of "flame control" that increased body temperature was supposed to be triggered by the freezing _cold._

I had discovered that, while Cedric could be annoying and harsh, he was looking out for me. I supposed that that should irritate me, but, it was kind of...nice.

Maybe no one looked out for me when I was still human.

I drew my bare arms closer around myself as I shivered. It had been embarrassing when they had pulled off my clothes...At least they left my pants...

Suddenly, I heard a sound off in the distance. Pulling my numb body from its freezing position, I looked out into the night. While I usually didn't have to worry about the other Infected, witches could be _dangerous. _I had learned that the hard way.

The sound didn't sound like a witch though. It was soft, alluring. I looked back at the tent, but, everyone was talking and laughing together, ignoring me. I decided to go and have a look, I mean, I was still getting wet, wasn't I?

Walking down the alley, a full moon persistantly peeked out of the rain clouds, illumintating the scene in front of me.

There, head turned back and hair cascading down the sides of her neck, sat a woman. Her small body was dispreportionate to her voice, which was loud enough to reach me outside, but, soft enough so that I didn't mind.

The song had not only drawn me to her. Commons walked towards her in a daze, tumbling over their Infected feet. One foolish one charged towards her, thinking her a meal. I watched in amazement as she landed a quick blow to his face and swept his feet out from under him. The other Commons charged towards her, intent on capturing this odd treasure. She calmly and rhythmically bashed their heads in, until the horde began to overwhelm her.

And then I felt it. Or, didn't feel it, rather.

I had forgotten the rain, but now that I remembered why I was out there in the first place, I realized that I couldn't feel the cold of the water.

In that moment of sucess, I decided to help the beautiful Infected before me. I let the flames cascade from my arms and legs, spreading out into the alley. The Commons screeched and ran, but, I quickly realized my mistake as I noticed the woman was trapped in the fire and panicking.

Quickly, I darted in and hoisted her underneath my arm. Pulling her body, quickly but carefully, out of the ring of fire (A/N: It burn, burn, buuuurrnnnnsss! The ring of fire! XD)

She was coughing from the smoke, and her left pant leg was on fire, which I quickly beat out, but, she was alive.

"Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing here?"

These are the first words Gina ever said to me. Pretty much sums up our relationship too.

* * *

"You did _what?_" Cedric's voice was cold and angry. I secretly wanted him to yell, to scream, to burn something, but, this cold dissapointment and anger was killing me.

"She's okay, and, the rain will put out the fire."

_Smack!_

I clutched my cheek as Cedric withdrew his hand. The skin there burned and burned like fire, but, I wasn't about to let how his action phased me show.

"What the hell?"

"Do you know what you just did? You endangered another living being because you couldn't control your fire. Do you even _know _what would have happened if you hadn't had better control? That girl would have been burned to a crisp!" He hollered, raising a hand to strike me again.

I let him.

Reflected, spinning pools of memories of hits and curses and alcohol rose above the haze that was my amnesia. I didn't fight back as Cedric, a man who I grudgingly respected, beat me into the ground outside the tent.

And I realized there, that Cedric was no different than anyone else.

They were all the same.

* * *

Months passed and Gina came to live with us. I continued my training with Cedric, who apoligized for his actions. I let it slide on the outside, but, I knew that things would never be the same again for the two of us.

I tended to forget that though.

I laughed as I shaped fire into a compressed ball, and hurled it at Cedric, who chuckled as he caught it in one hand, before throwing it back at me. Gina and Mona were giggling and whispering on a corner, while Desmond and Bernard were out getting food.

Life was good.

Survivors had come and gone every now and then, though, we usually were away from the fighting. Hence, our dependence on forgotten grocery stores.

I turned the ball into a boomerang shaped flame and threw it at my counterpart.

Gina had, after being apologized to and welcomed, fit like a glove. She and I talked regularly, despite our meeting.

Yep. Life was good.

* * *

But, as the saying went...

* * *

Gina and I walked, laughing and screaming into the night. Empty eyes watched us from the sidelines, though, we didn't mind.

And then we saw the column of fire rising from our home base.

I flew across the parking lot, faster than a Charger on speed, towards the flames.

When I saw Bernard's corpse, leg missing and blood pooling around him, it felt like a small part of my world gave way. I never even _liked _the guy, but, he was as much family as anyone else.

I clutched my eyes shut, saying a quick prayer to whatever God was out there, and then I returned to my previous pace.

"Stay there Gina!" I yelled as I glimpsed her trying to follow. She stopped by Bernard's body and waited there.

As I leapt through the fire, flames coiling around me like snakes, I didn't expect anything. I should have, looking back, noticed the connection between the _fire _and _Cedric_, but, at the time, I didn't know.

How could I have?

If I had known that, while I was running through the inferno, Gina was examining Bernard's body, and, what she had found there, I would have turned back, left Cedric there and not known if he had survived.

But I didn't know.

I didn't know that Gina had found teeth marks and burns where Bernard's leg had been separated from his body.

* * *

At last, I saw Cedric and Mona and Desmond, all relativly safe.

Or so I thought.

I watched in amazement as Desmond launched himself at Cedric, only to be caught in a wall of fire that incinerated him instantly. His charred body fell from the air.

I felt a scream leave my throat, but, I didn't hear it.

The only thing I heard was Mona's last words.

"So this is who you really are."

And then she was gone. Tears and body destroyed by the flames unleashed by the one she loved. I didn't want to look at the remains.

And then he turned his eyes towards me.

Flames moved in a giant current around us, forming a tower of flames, swirling and shifting in a blazing hurricane. And when he spoke, I almost felt myself crumble.

"Hello Cole. I'm glad you got here to see that." He smiled evily, so different from the Cedric I knew.

"WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?" I bellowed at him, gesturing to the ashes.

"Beacause..." He said, voice simple and calm as if commenting on the weather. "It was the purpose they served."

I clenched my fists and leapt at him, teeth bared ferociously as I called on the fire. It may not burn him, but, it'll at least help me beat him myself.

I made a wall of flame erupt from me, disguising myself from view. I leapt from the ground, dodging as a javelin of the inferno speared the spot where I last was.

I glared at Cedric and Cedric glared at me. Without a word, we both ran towards eachother, fire forgotten and fists raised.

As I threw the first blow, Cedric dodged and began talking.

"Mona, Bernard, Desmond...They were all tools. Snack, saved for a later date. You were too. And Gina, I'm afraid."

I growled at him and struck him across the face. He tumbled, but didn't stop talking. I shoved my disgust about his cannibalism out of my mind and aimed a kick at his now up and moving form.

"Infected flesh is so sweet...so succulent...Once I tried it, I had to have more...Surely you understand Cole. Surely you, a fellow Scorcher, can understand this need of mine?"

I didn't answer.

"Ah, but, the student has yet to surpass the master. I'm still better than you, Cole."

He flipped over me and landed a roundhouse kick to my face. I spat out a tooth as I landed, and got up again.

"I was hoping that you would have given in to this instinct, as I had. But, in this area, at least, you dissapointed me Cole."

He landed three blows to my lungs, causing me to wheeze.

"I wanted to eat you all earlier. I grappled with it and fought with it. Every time I was with that whore Mona I wanted to dig my teeth into her skin and taste exactly what her blood tasted like. It'll be good now, even if it's a bit overdone."

Tripping me with one foot, he placed the other on my throat. He raised his head to the sky, looking at the full moon outside the inferno, stained red by firelight. He brought a hand to his face, covering it with it. When he glanced at me, I caught his eyes from underneath the hand.

They were blood red, black sclera gone. They were the eyes of an animal.

"Of course, Scorcher flesh is the tastiest, by far."

Something inside me snapped.

They were gone. This was not Cedric. Maybe Cedric never existed. Mona and Bernard and Desmond were all dead. Only Gina remained.

Gina.

The girl who was waiting outside this collosal bonfire, waiting for me to come out with good news.

The girl Cedri-no...I won't call him by that name. The girl this _thing_ was going to kill and eat next.

Unless I stopped him.

I roared as a fire unlike anything I had ever felt before erupted from where my heart must have been. The heart. The center of heat in the body.

I threw the monster across the small space in the fire that we had left. He flipped and landed, surprised as white hot flames surrounded me like a second skin.

And then my hand pierced his chest cavity.

He gasped as my fire burned him from the inside out, heart carefully avoided so that he would live.

_I wanted him to suffer._

He began laughing. Looking me in the eye, I saw them shift from red to their usual red and black. I could have sworn I saw a look of relief on his features, and I could have sworn I heard a whispered _Thank You._

And then the fire swallowed him.

And then the fire went out.

* * *

All good things must come to an end.

* * *

Okay! There we go! By far my longest chapter so far! I liked the past I wrote for Cole...It probably has holes in it, but, I hope you guys liked it!

I originally was going to make this a full history of Cole, stretching from Granny's prophecy to their coming to "The Town". But, I liked this part, so, I decided to put it in Stellar Days instead, as an Ember Revenge part 2.

*: I totally stole the gruesome image line from Shadow the Hedgehod's game...so I DISCLAIM!

**: I'M CANADIAN! AND I SPEAK FRENCH!...Though...I am not French...But, I hope I didn't bother anyone!

***: I ALSO stole this from Weiss' speach in FF VII Dirge of Cerbrus...it was cool though...I DISCLAIM!

Meanwhile, Akikazemoon's USB stick or Flash Drive or whatever, got busted apparently. That explains the lack of updates! Don't worry, I think she recovered the data for the next chapter on it, and, she can always copy and paste (OR RECOVER KAZE-CHAN! THEY HAVE THAT OPTION ON THE PUBLISHING BOARD THINGYMABOBBER!) the other chapters.

Anyway, I was wondering...would anyone be interested in writing/drawing a manga for this? I would draw it...but...I can't draw very well T.T

And Noir is a Sephiroth Sesshomaru clone! SEE THE TRUTH!

Thanks all,

-Twilight Symphony.

P.S: Chck out the art for this on Deviantart! I posted something! Though, my name there is DawnOrchestra, but, still!

Thanks again!


	8. Borrowed Wings

Disclaimer: I disclaim all things that are not mine in this story. OCs belong to their appropriate creators, ideas belong to their creators, and L4D belongs to its creators. Any questions?

* * *

Jeffry kicked a can dejectedly as he shuffled down the empty streets. Commons growled and mumbled in their various positions around, on, and against the cars. Cole was nowhere to be seen, and everyone was training and honing their skills. Jeffry, while being a valuable strategist and a fast runner, had no such skills to hone really. Sam and Hunter were working on accuracy, while Taunter and Boomer marked ideal spots for calling hordes on the map with red marker. Alan started target practice, while the others focused on hand to hand. When Tank and Angel started to lift cars like barbells, he had decided to take a walk.

Feeling somewhat sorry for himself, he sat down on the curb and pulled a cookie from the pocket he had stowed it in. It was the last one left in the box that Granny had given him.

"I'll have to find her again soon…" He mumbled to himself as he munched on the sweet.

Suddenly, he heard sobbing from a nearby alley. Turning his head towards the noise, he debated against going or not. Curiosity won out in the end, and, he made his way over to the potentially dangerous brick hallway.

Inside, Witch was slumped over, sobbing and tugging ruefully on something in the dirt. A small, golden piece of _shiny _metal glinted in the sunset. Jeffry reigned in the desire to snatch up the object and run off and hide it, and sat down (at a moderately safe distance away) across from Witch.

The red haired woman looked up from between her claws, red eyes tearfully blazing from behind razor fingers. She sniffed, and asked:

"W-What do you want?"

Jeffry smiled encouragingly, and pointed at the small piece of metal.

"I was wondering what that was."

The girl picked it up by its chain, suspending it from her index claw. A small portrait of a group of people, smiling and laughing, was inside. Survivor writing scrawled out a date on the metal next to it, but, neither Witch nor Jeffry could read it.

"I found it here…and, I just couldn't think of w-what t-to do with it…" She started to tear up again.

Jeffry was about to comfort her, before a screech stopped him. Turning his head, he saw a Spitter and Boomer, both of which were standing in the entrance to the alley.

"Hello…My name's Jeffry…what's yours?" He tried to make introductions with the strangely silent infected.

The Boomer answered by letting a stream of puke envelope the small boy and sobbing woman.

The two infected in question were both driven to madness long ago by pain. The two spent their time attacking any other Special Infected that entered their (rather small) territory, driven by territorial rage and bloodlust.

Commons immediately swarmed towards the alley, shoving towards the bodily fluids that they so coveted. Jeffry turned and bolted, reaching out a hand to pull Witch with him. She avoided it and growled at the swarm that was quickly approaching. Gesturing over her shoulder for him to run, she pulled the locket into a safe place and flexed her claws.

Jeffry ran with the sound of Witch screaming and cleaving through Commons, reminding himself to thank her later.

* * *

"Hey… Has anyone seen Jeffie since he left?" Taunter asked, voice somewhat tired from the sit ups she had been doing. (LOL, yes, she's doing sit ups…)

"Not since he left for a walk." Tai answered her, voice equally tired from his push ups. (LOL, yes, he's doing push ups…)

Noir huffed and panted from the chin ups that he had been forced (at gunpoint, thanks to Alan.) to do, using Tank's arm as a chin up bar. (LLOOOOLLLLL!)

Specter walked towards the exit. "I'll go find him. No slacking off while I'm gone."

The group saluted to their physical trainer, who had been teaching and instructing them in training to keep their bodies battle-ready. They all returned to their activities as he walked out into the twilight.

* * *

Jeffry launched himself across the alleyway, making a break for the nearby dumpster. A projectile of acid cut him off, corroding liquid blocking his path. Turning his head round, he spotted a ladder, hanging inconspicuously from a nearby wall. Bolting towards it, he hoisted himself up as the maddened Spitter chased after him, already working up another attack.

Gray hands gripped yellow metal as Jeffry continued to pull himself up, finally pausing to look behind him on a roof. The Spitter was still climbing after him. He clutched a burn mark on his left sleeve, before jumping off of the short roof, into the next side of the alley.

With the other Infected hot on his heels, the young boy dashed towards cover. He ducked behind it and curled into a pile of garbage, concealing himself. As a Sniffer, he had chosen the worst-smelling place he could, trying to mask his scent from the once-beautiful woman.

A shadow fell across the alley, distorted by the Spitter's twisted posture. Jeffie shut his eyes in preparation for the next (and final) blow.

* * *

But the attack never came.

The Spitter was tackled against the wall as a riot-armour clad infected leapt from the nearby rooftop. It screeched as Specter attacked it, trying to work up burning fluid to attack him with. A glove clad hand grasped its too-long throat and made its hanging jaw move fruitlessly.

"_Go. Never come back. This is our territory, got that?"_

The monster screeched and bolted, leaving trails of acidic waste behind it. Its mind, though, long since been driven to madness by the pain of incubating _acid, _had understood the command.

The taller infected reached a hand into the pile of garbage that he had seen Jeffry jump into. The smaller boy grasped it and let himself be pulled from the trash.

"You okay kid?"

"Yeah. Thank you." The boy gasped, catching his breath from the long chase.

The two stood in silence for a second, before a voice rang out.

"Well, well. Isn't this a touching scene?"

Gina stood in the entrance to the alley, mutilated body of the Spitter crushed in the dirt in front of her.

* * *

Gina approached the two, reaching them in a few steps.

"What do you want?" Specter growled, teeth grinding.

The woman ran a hand across Specter's shoulder. She leaned in and whispered:

"Tons of things…all of which you can provide." Specter licked his lips as the blonde woman's hand moved downwards, trailing across the riot armour chest plate.

The former riot-corps member, in all fairness, resisted. However, Gina had spent her former life charming the opposite sex. Even the brick wall willpower that the man possessed was futile against her charms. With a swat of her hand, Jeffry was sent flying, hat falling from his head.

Specter's face twisted when thought and instinct collided. The resulting cocktail of emotions ravaged the infected mind as primal lust and rational thought used his brain as a battleground.

_It __**had **__been a long time._

Gina's left hand curled around his neck and pressed her claws against the unsuspecting man's jugular.

"Watch out!" A voice shouted from behind them. A tongue wrapped around the smaller woman and flung her against the brick wall. Calli lunged forwards, intent on finishing off the woman, but, a hand caught hers. Ivy jump kicked the other girl, sending her crashing into the piles of garbage.

"Jeffry! Get help!" Specter yelled as he charged towards the enemies. If Ivy and Gina were there, Cole and hundreds of Commons weren't far behind.

Jeffry, somewhat unwillingly, ran towards the exit.

"Oh no you don't!" Gina yelled and made to attack the boy, but, was caught once again in Calli's trap. Jeffry leaped out the exit from the alley, and started sprinting towards the others.

* * *

"Guys! Guys, come on! Specter and Calli are in trouble!" Jeffry ran into the base, calling the others into action. Without pause, the others sprang into action, running, pouncing, charging and climbing out of the alley, and following Jeffry.

* * *

A plume of black smoke rose on the horizon. Cole saw it, and felt his stomach drop with excitement. Smoke meant fire, fire meant battle, and battle meant _more fire._ He called out to the others, practically pulling them out the door as he jumped out into the street.

* * *

As soon as the two groups saw each other, battle erupted. Cole went straight for Tai, Clawer not being available, while Shawn and Jojo went after Eric, Smoker, and Echo. Lurker and Mauler took on Tank and Angel, the four heavyweights demolishing the street easily. The others struck each other sprinting, clawing, biting and attacking each other.

Tai and Cole faced off, the Imitator and Scorcher dodging and throwing blows. Jeffry called to him from the entrance to the alley, telling him that the others were there. Tai dodged Cole's fire, and yelled for Hunter. The hoodie clad infected, covered by Sam and Blake, leapt across and kept Cole busy while Tai went to assist Specter and Calli with Ivy and Gina.

Inside the alley, Calli was grappling with Gina while Specter traded blows with Ivy. The willowy females used their flexibility to their advantage and hit their opponents many times. However, Calli and Specter were no pushovers.

"We've got to get to wider ground!" Specter yelled, and began to push Ivy out of the alley. Calli did the same, punching Gina across the face, sending her reeling out of the alley. The two dashed after their opponents. Tai and Jeffry were about to follow, before a figure landed in front of them, blocking their path. A shock of orangish-red hair told them exactly who was about to attack them.

Just before Cole could fry them, however, a voice rang out from the back of the alley. Gray hair and blind eyes became evident as Granny stepped into the light.

"Hello, my dears."

* * *

"Tai, please remove your shirt."

The brown-haired boy blushed at the old woman's request. Everyone present scrunched their eyes at the mental image. Granny sighed.

"Kids today…"

Without another word, she tossed something towards (the now bare chested) Tai, who caught it shakily. The small vial inside contained a red liquid that Tai was very familiar with.

"How…?" He started to ask, before the elder shushed him.

"It's not important child. Drink up."

The blood moved slightly as Tai unscrewed the top. Cole made a move to attack, but, his blow was interrupted by a Common that snuck up behind him. Said zombie was quickly incinerated, but, not quickly enough to stop Tai from drinking the crimson life in the bottle.

Pain reared in Tai's body as fire blossomed across his flank. Heat and cold collided, making him crouch down, almost like a witch. The light around them dimmed as the sun sank below the horizon, but, the illumination of the streetlights made a spotlight for Tai's transformation.

There was a sickening crack as bones and tissue rearranged themselves. Tai screamed in pain as his body shifted and changed. Skin bulged, one arch beneath each shoulder blade, before the tissue gave way to what was fighting to emerge from the now wailing boy's body.

Dark tissue stretched out behind Tai, leathery and moist, before feathers sprouted from the bat-like base. The colouring of the feathers was a light gray, almost white, fluorescents shining on them as they stretched and pushed outwards from their mangled positions.

Tai remained hunched over, hugging his knees and sobbing into his pant legs as the wings moved, seemingly on their own. The feathers flexed once, before the wings wrapped themselves around Tai, almost as if comforting him. *

Granny crouched down next to him and hugged him. Cole, shocked by what had just happened, didn't even move to attack.

"Listen to me Tai. You have to take Jeffry and escape. We'll be fine here."

Tai shook his head, refusing to leave. Granny shushed him and helped him stand. The feathers draped over his body like a shawl, wings too long for him.

"Take Jeffry and fly."

Tai gathered the smaller boy in his arms, limp form pressed to his chest. The wings moved, and Tai jetted upwards, jumping with the help of the wings over to the roof of the apartment building that the alley was connected to. He shot forwards a moment later, wings gliding as he made his way to a safe distance, Jeffry curled against him.

Cole tsked and watched them go.

"Ugh, wasn't expecting that one. Gotta hand it to you old lady, you know how to surprise."

Granny smiled softly, even as Cole turned his murderous glare on her.

"However, I think we both know who'll win if you fight me."

Then, something odd happened. Granny chuckled, a soft laugh escaping from her perpetually patient voice.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

Cole growled and sent a jet of flame towards the blind woman. Granny calmly sidestepped and dodged the fire, flames barely singing the woman's hair.

Cole cursed and fired again, this time sending twin rivers of fire arcing towards her. The crone weaved between the two, once again dodging the irate Scorchers attack.

"Is this your plan? Dodge until I give up?" Cole bellowed at her.

The woman offered no response. Instead, when Cole unleashed an inferno that filled the alleyway, she ducked behind a nearby dumpster and waited for the attack to finish. Not once did the look on her face drop from its understanding smile.

Cole let out a howl of pure anger and charged towards her.

* * *

After the fighting had ceased, and the Commons and Taunter's group had dispersed, Gina and Shawn had decided to look for Cole, who hadn't been seen since he disappeared.

"Cole? Are you here?" Gina called, looking into the burnt out alley, scorch marks blacking out the brickwork into a sheet of opaque ash.

A cough echoed from inside. A weak reply of "…Yeah…" made Gina bite back a tremor of worry. Cole usually would have been gloating over his latest victory…

Unless…

She dashed into the alley to find Cole lying spread eagle against the concrete, body covered in bruises and wounds. Blood dripped from his forehead, where a nasty looking cut had been inflicted where no real lasting damage could be possible. Whoever had attacked him had known what they were doing. None of his wounds were fatal.

"Who did this?" Gina asked, fearing a new reinforcement for the other team.

Cole laughed then, crazily and shakily, voice on the edge of bawling.

"SHE did."

"Who did?" Shawn asked, kneeling next to the other man.

He laughed again and turned to look at the two.

"That old woman, the one who was following Mauler and the others. SHE pulverized me…"

Gina snorted in disbelief, while Shawn looked perplexed.

"You can't be serious…" Gina said, not believing that COLE was beaten by a little old lady.

Cole looked at her, eyes completely serious.

"That woman is a monster…"**

* * *

OKAY! There we go! Now I'm going to bed, I think. I've got English culminating due soon, so, I'll need my rest…

*: These wings were slightly inspired by the wings from FF VII, Howl's moving castle, Ryuk's wings from Death Note, those kind of things.

**: This line is used in Rave Master…but…it fit… (:

I disclaim ownership to that which is not mine in this story!

AND I GOT L4D2 on Steam! WOOT!

Till next time, I suppose!

-Twilight Symphony


	9. Christmas Special!

Disclaimer: I disclaim all things that are not mine in this story. OCs belong to their appropriate creators, ideas belong to their creators, and L4D belongs to its creators. Any questions?

* * *

"What is that stuff?"

The cry that sounded from Jeffry as he pointed upwards shattered the somewhat sleepy attitude that permeated the alley. The dropped temperature that had surrounded the city had made the group bundle themselves up against the cold, holing up in the safe room with blankets and even a small space heater salvaged from Clawer's basement. Jeffry was pressed up against the window, finger pointing to the mysterious flakes of precipitation falling from the heavens.

It was a miracle, a small, but amazing, gift from the sky. Despite heat, Infection, and general mayhem, the southern city was privy to one of life's greatest sights.

It was snowing.

Taunter stepped out into the now-turning-white alley, cold winds biting against her before she zipped up her hoodie. She ran a hand across it, and drew it back as if it had been bitten.

The substance was _wet._ Solid, but, melting when touched.

The rest of the group, comically, were pressed in the threshold of the doorway, waiting to see Taunter's reaction. The girl, placed in the role of forerunner, ran a hand against her forehead as memories rushed in with the sensation of the snow. Laughing, joyful memories, filled with…

A crafty grin flitted across her face as she bent down and gathered snow in her bare hands. Ignoring the freeze (She'd have to make sure to find gloves and coats for everyone…) she packed the substance into a sphere, and, lobbed it at the (still leaning out somewhat fearfully from the threshold) group.

With a yelp, Jeffry backed into Noir and Valery, who sent Smoker and Alan falling into Eric and Tai and Hunter, who in turn pushed over Clawer, Healer, Echo, Calli, Sam and Hunter, who, with the combined weight of the now falling, Blake, pushed Tank over who sent Angel toppling to the ground with a crash.

This, rather effective example of the domino effect, caused Taunter to double over, laughing until she cried. The others got up, dusted themselves off, and bent over as one to scoop up snow.

Taunter was so busy laughing that she never saw it coming.

* * *

Cole sneezed as the vile, freezing precipitation fell from the sky. He pulled the heap of blankets closer around himself as the cold bit into his arms. His leather jacket provided little comfort, but, it was something at least.

"Damn snow…" He cursed under his breath before he was interrupted by another sneeze.

The Scorcher wanted to _burn _something..._anything…_but, the snow was his mortal enemy, barring him from leaving the parking garage. He piled another stack of newspapers (He really had to remember to thank Lurker for pulling those boxes out for him…) together and incinerated them with a flick of his wrist. The heat provided from the small paper fire was comforting, at least a little…

He sneezed again, groaning and lying back. Like all Scorchers, Cole was eerily susceptible to changes in temperature. He got physically sick when faced with freezing temperatures, like his current situations, and flourished in scorching heat. Gina, somewhat reluctantly, had agreed to nurse the man. Having been with Cole the longest, she was best suited to the task.

Meanwhile, the others worked on insulating their current residential floor, in the interest of the entire group and not simply the Scorcher. The heavyweight members stacked cars against the sides, while the lighter ones draped cloth and tarps across the inside. If they hadn't stacked the steel wall on the outside, the tarps would draw attention.

Cole sneezed yet again, before plunging into another merry round of cursing the white substance that littered the ground.

* * *

Valery ducked behind a wall as more projectiles rained down towards her. Dodging between cover and open space, she jumped over a dumpster and flipped, sending some retaliatory fire of her own. She grinned as the snowball hit Sam square in the face, sending him reeling back into his brother.

The two were promptly crushed underneath one of the huge snowballs that Jeffry, in alliance with Angel, had catapulted across the area. A tiny hand met with a huge one as the two high-fived, thinking themselves secure in their carefully constructed fort, before ducking from the volley of colourful slush from Calli's fort. The artist had spray painted her team's (consisting of Smoker and herself (wink, wink, nudge, nudge…) snowballs, adding insult to injury.

Tai had enlisted Eric and Alan's help, packing snow while the two lobbed it at their enemies. Their plan was immediately shattered as Tank jumped from the ledge above, pounding his chest in an idiotic imitation of a jungle warrior. The three scattered from the base before Tank landed, and promptly turned their sights on their new enemy.

While the majority of the group pelted each other with snowballs, there were some other outlets to be used when dealing with the snow.

Healer, for example, had discovered a pair of skates when they had broken in to the storage room of that clothing store. She, carefully, regained the ability to glide across the surface of the ice, while Clawer tripped behind her. Witch, feeling even sadder when her tears started to freeze, stayed bundled up in the safe room, munching periodically on the occasional vegetable, which had remained untouched until her arrival. Jeffry and Angel, covered in multi-coloured and traditional snow, trudged in after her, and plopped down in front of the makeshift fire they had started through creative use of tarps, stones, logs, and Smoker's lighter. The huge man, sitting next to the small boy, made an interesting portrait. Witch held out two razor claws, creating an L shape, framing it when she brought her second hand up in the same position.

She allowed herself a small, contented smile.

* * *

As morning turned to afternoon, the great snow war ended, leaving soaking, but, jolly Infected in its wake. Everyone was talking and eating and sometimes just listening in front of the fire. Their clothes had long since warmed, but, no one moved from the familial gathering. It reminded Jeffry of something…

A memory flashed in slow motion in front of his mind's eye. A tall fir tree, brimming with light and shrouded with steam from hot chocolate, stood, ethereal, in his memories. Jeffry caught his whoop of excitement at the memory of the shiny baubles of all shapes and sizes hanging from the tree's branches. He began plotting immediately, mind turning over possibilities and ideas like the strategist he was.

"Isn't this cozy?"

Tai's eyebrow quirked up at the voice he had just heard. It hadn't sounded like anyone sitting round' the fire…

Turning, slightly, he scoured the area behind him. No one was there.

The others noticed it too, and started looking around. A gray, wrinkled hand waved to them from behind the considerable bulk of Angel's muscular back. Granny stepped out from behind the huge infected, like a dancer stepping out from the wings of a stage.

"When did you get here?" They all asked, not having noticed the elderly woman.

She chuckled slightly and reached into a bag that hung from her side. Pulling a package from it, she tossed it at their feet. Inside were carefully sculpted cookies, taking on the shapes of trees, snowmen, and stockings.

"Merry Christmas!" She grinned toothily, and walked out of the door. A booming laugh followed her, seeming disproportional to her size and personality.

The group stared at the package for a few minutes, then at each other.

Shrugging, Jeffry opened the package and munched on a cookie. Rainbow coloured sprinkles littered his chin like stubble. The others tucked in to the odd woman's gift, groaning at the taste.

"Hey…What's Christmas?" Sam asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"It's a human holiday, celebrating peace and goodwill towards all men…" Witch sniffed. The others doubled over in surprise.

Witch shrugged, and pulled a small piece of sugar cookie to her lips.

"Well, if it's a holiday, we should celebrate!" Taunter stood, and dusted off her jeans. "Who knows any good ways to celebrate a holiday?"

Jeffie raised his hand timidly.

Taunter pointed to him joyously.

"Well…I _do _remember this one thing that we used to do…" He blushed and leaned over to Angel, whispering in the huge infected's ear. Angel looked at him in surprise, and then relayed the idea to the rest of the group. They all nodded and agreed.

Angel sighed again.

_This is going to be a lot of work…_

* * *

Taunter hopped into the broken window of the store. The faded wallpaper did nothing to deter her as she walked across the outgoing window sill, making her way towards the back of the store. Pulling a drawer open, she rummaged through the cabinet, looking for the perfect gifts for her friends. Everyone had split up, trying to find something for one another.

* * *

Angel, of course, had been recruited to find a tree.

The snow picked up, turning light down into a sleety white against the now quickly growing darkness. A blizzard formed in the depths of night, freezing winds passing round the huge clouds that billowed in the sky.

Angel's huge form trudged through the snow, the blizzard twisting around him. He pulled a huge fir tree, ripped from the ground with his bare hands, creating skid marks in the powder. Jeffry rode on his shoulder, bundled in coats and cloth.

"All right kiddo, where did you say you put this stuff?" Angel asked, pausing for a second to let Jeffry look around.

The boy peeked out from the cloak of warmth to stare at the endless sea of white and green trees. Sliding down the huge man's back, he pulled his legs up as high as they would go, moving through the widely accumulated solidified water. He brushed it away from a knothole, and beckoned Angel over to the place.

Inside, a treasure trove that would put a magpie to shame glistened in the moonlight. Doll heads, carefully collected and lovingly polished, sat next to coins, mirrors, and even feathers. Shiny things galore, Jeffry's trademark, were carefully placed in the tree. Angel pulled the cornucopia of objects into the sack he carried carefully. Jeffry oversaw this carefully, making sure nothing was broken. He was already somewhat unwilling to part with the treasure.

Angel slung the sack over the small boy's shoulder, checking his balance to see if the young man could, indeed, support the huge (and, coincidentally, made of red velvet.) bag. He picked him up and set him on his shoulder, before continuing on their march, talking and laughing and grunting and groaning.

* * *

Everyone leaned back. Presents were placed in a huge pile under the tree, which was decorated with every kind of bauble imaginable. Even some of Tai's feathers hung from the branches.

The gifts in question ranged from a (somewhat worn, one of it's eyes was gone) teddy bear, to a bottle of polish for firearms. Taunter rested her head against the (now blushing) Hunter's shoulder. Friends, no…more like family, drifted off to sleep in eachother's warm embrace.

* * *

Merry Christmas everyone!

-Twilight Symphony


End file.
